Hercules and the Circle of Fire
|Season = 0 |Antagonist = Hera |Setting = Greece Mount Aethion |In-Universe Date = Year -7 |Original Air-Date = |Written By = Barry Pullman Andrew Dettmann Daniel Truly |Story By = |Teleplay By = |Directed By = Doug Lefler |Order in Series = 3 of 5 telemovies |Order in Season = |Order in Franchise= 3 of 304 |Prev Episode in Series = Hercules and the Lost Kingdom |Next Episode in Series = Hercules in the Underworld |Prev Episode in Franchise = Hercules and the Lost Kingdom |Next Episode in Franchise = Hercules in the Underworld |title cap image = }} Hercules must save both a legendary Titan and an old friend from Hera's clutches. Summary Hercules is walking through a snowy mountain where he finds a woman in the cold, and goes to help her. He sees Zeus in a cave and a rock blocking over the entrance. Hercules turns around and the woman calls out to him and freezes and explodes which turns out to be a dream. The next day Hercules and a young man are walking through a cave with corpses scattered about. The man tells Hercules that they are all men from his village and that the evil witch who guards the Fountain of Youth killed them for their youth and strength. In the center of the cave the find an old woman who is chained up and the man hits Hercules over the head who turns out to be a warlock. The warlock says he will take Hercules' strength and then the both fight. Hercules hears a beating heat which belongs to the warlock and he stabs him. When the warlock dies, the old lady becomes young which is her true form and Hercules releases her from her chains and takes some water from the fountain. the fountain then boils and then everything disappears in the cave. Hercules and the young lady vacate the cave and Zeus suddenly appears and tells her him the water will cure Cheiron_the_Satyr of a wound he has. When Hercules sees him, he gives his friend the water he has has to help him. The wound only heals for a few seconds, and then worsens. Hercules promises Cheiron he will find a cure. Meanwhile, all over Cheiron's village fires are going out including the fire that Hercules and Cheiron are standing by. Hercules decides to investigates on about the strange event. When he approaches Hera's temple it turns out to have fire. A woman is trying to plead with the priest of the temple to let them light their torches but the priest refuses. Hercules kicks down the door, Hera's priest fight him but Hercules beats him up, and lights the torch. Three women appear and tell Hercules the torch won't help because Hera has stolen the Eternal_Torch to kill mankind. Hercules knows that people can't survive without fire, which is why he must get the torch back. Later, the woman from the temple comes to Cheiron, saying her name is Deianeira. Cheiron says Hercules can help her and points her the man from the temple. Hercules says they should talk to Prometheus, so he and Deianeira go to see him. When they find Prometheus frozen with ice, he tells them that Hera has stolen the Eternal Torch and that Hercules must retrieve it. Hercules and Deianeira go onto Mount Aepion, where Hera has the Torch. While traveling, Hercules is attacked by a giant named Antaeus and he and Deianeira both manage to kill him. As they camp for the night, Hercules tells Deianeira that he o accidentally inflicted Cheiron's wound. The next day as they are crossing a narrow valley they arrive at a point where Hera has removed the bridge with his strength. Hercules declares they can continue if they use the rope which still remains which Deianeira is reluctant but she agrees. When they arrive at Mount Aepion, Hercules walks on the snowy top just like in the dream he had earlier. Hercules sees Zeus and demands what Hera has done. Zeus says that Hera has put the Torch in the center of a Circle_of_Fire, and the fire has the power to kill immortals which would kill Hercules. The two men argue and Zeus tells Hercules that he is trying to save him from dying. Hercules asks Zeus if he cares about humanity. Zeus says that he does love humanity, however he loves Hercules more, Which Hercules replies he loves his father too. Zeus then understands what Hercules must do. Hercules goes through the circle of fire and retrieves the Eternal Torch, he throws it and it lands in Prometheus's home, waking him from his sleep and then fire returns to humankind. As Hercules lays dying in the circle of fire, Zeus demands Hera not to kill Hercules or he will haunt her for eternity, even threatening to give up his immortality. Hera stops the fire and Zeus helps Hercules, who thanks his father for saving him. Before leaving the cage Hercules picks up a stick which he lights. Zeus asks if Hercules knows the power of the flames, which he replies that he does.Hercules takes the torch to Cheiron's home and tells him to step in the circle of straw. Cheiron stands in the center of the circle and Hercules lights the straw with the stick. Cheiron drops to his knees and says his wound is gone because the flames had burned away his immortality and healed him. Gallery File:Circle_of_fire_01.jpg|A cure? File:Circle_of_fire_02.jpg|Cheiron's House File:Circle_of_fire_03.jpg|We didn't need your help! File:Circle_of_fire_04.jpg|Find the torch File:Circle_of_fire_05.jpg|My name is Deianeira File:Circle_of_fire_06.jpg|Don't defy me File:Circle_of_fire_07.jpg|Battle with Antaeus File:Circle_of_fire_08.jpg|Friends File:Circle_of_fire_09.jpg|Daughters of Thespius File:Circle_of_fire_10.jpg|Now I'm defying you! File:Circle_of_fire_11.jpg|King of the gods File:Circle_of_fire_12.jpg|The last time File:Hercules_Circle_of_Fire_Poster.jpg|Poster Art File:Circle_of_Fire_VHS.jpg|Universal VHS Release Background Information * Tawny Kitaen, who played Deianeira, would go on to play her in all later Universal Action Pack movies and several HTLJ episodes. * Lisa Chappell would later play multiple roles on HTLJ – Lydia ("Pride Comes Before a Brawl"); Dirce ("The King of Thieves", "The Wedding of Alcmene", "Hercules on Trial"); Melissa ("War Bride", "Hercules on Trial"); Melissa Blake ("Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules", "For Those of You Just Joining Us"). * Hercules battling and defeating Antaeus comes from the Greek myths (though with some obvious tweaks such as Deianeira's presence). * The movie begins with Hercules having a prophetic dream about later events of the story. This would not be the last time he would have a prophetic dream ("Norse By Norsevest", "Darkness Rising", "Revelations"). * Nominated for the 1995 Saturn Award for "Best Single Genre Television Presentation" by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films USA. * This movie is loosely based on the myth of Prometheus. The basic plot concept of Prometheus being captured, is somewhat similar to the first season Xena: Warrior Princess episode "Prometheus", although in that episode mankind is robbed of the gift of healing not fire. Links and References Cast * Kevin Sorbo as Hercules * Anthony Quinn as Zeus * Tawny Kitaen as Deianeira * Kevin Atkinson as Cheiron * Stephanie Barrett as Phaedra Other Cast * Christopher Brougham as Janus * Nell Weatherly as Hag/Girl * Simone Kessell as Hag/Girl * Alexander Gandar as Telemon * Joseph Greer as Peleus * Kerry Gallagher as Amalthea * Leonard Twins as Baby Kora * John Watson as Temple Priest * Sharon Tyrrell as Temple Priestess * Mark Ferguson as Prometheus * Yvonne Lawley as Woman * Zo Hartley as Peasant #1 * Geoff Snell as Peasant #2 * Mark Newnham as Antaeus * Philip Gillis as Innkeeper * Martyn Sanderson as Thespius * Lisa Chappell as Daughter #1 * Kim Michalis as Daughter #2 * Leticia Bridges as Daughter #3 * Amy Morrison as Cold Child #1 * Patrick Morrison as Cold Child #2 * Joy Watson as Hera (voice) References * Circle of Fire * Eternal Torch * Mt. Aethion * House of Prometheus * Thessalonia * Troy Season Navigation de:Hercules und der flammende Ring Category:HTLJ telemovies